"Moves" Day

We got the news last night that our funny and intelligent Elder Walker (Junior, as we call him) is being transferred to Limerick, Ireland on Wednesday. We have become so attached to this young man that it feels very much like it did when we sent each of our three sons off on their missions. He is the young man on the right. Last transfers he was made a District Leader and this time around he's been bumped up to Zone Leader. This tells you something about his work ethic. We are going to miss him greatly. Limerick is where some of my ancestors came from so we told him we'd be coming to visit one day and will also be visiting Catholic parishes in that city at the same time.

Tonight we will be attending the usual Monday night YSA Family Home Evening. Because we are member-support missionaries, we have the pleasure of attending every branch function that's held. It's nice to know that we can be serving just by participating, and I really believe we are serving that way because the branch numbers here need so much beefing up. Yesterday at church there were only 21 in attendance and that included a (biological) brother and sister from Tubbercurry in County Sligo. They each own a home there and live elsewhere (she lives in North Carolina and he lives somewhere else in the States), so their Irish homes are just for vacations. (How cool would THAT be?)

We had a dreadful experience with a woman here a few days ago and I haven't yet been able to shake off the way she made me feel. She's my age and was an active member of the Catholic Church until she was 19 at which time she left it and began her life search for "the truth", but I don't think she's going to succeed until she stops talking and starts listening. We came to her house with the best message that one person could have for another, but she had her own agenda and refused to listen. Finally, after two hours I had had enough, stood up and said I had to be leaving, which I did. Richard and the junior elders followed about 10 minutes later. More than anything I feel pity for her and nobody wants pity. I'm constantly amazed at how much abuse the proselyting elders have dropped upon them and how they take it. They really make me proud.